Lai Jiayi scanned her surroundings to find Uncle Shan.
But then, several sofas surrounding a square glass table in front of an old-fashioned television caught her eyes instead.
'Eh, so old-fashioned? Thought no one uses that television model anymore. Huge, with a thin screen...that is quite old…wait, I forgot they still used that TV.'
Shan Liang's family was actually not that poor and could afford all the current technology, but…
'This family prefers vintage style, huh….just like a few years ago. They didn't change.'
Lai Jiayi looked down to see the floor was also made out of wood.
'This family likes nature a lot, ah?'
Aside from the sofa sets, the row of bookshelves also caught her eyes.
In front of the bookshelves, one could see another set of deep brown sofas, and this time the man she was looking for was there.
He was sitting on the sofa while reading a book, seemingly unaware of anyone's presence there.
The middle-aged man was wearing a warm-looking turtleneck sweater even though it's summer now.
'Ah, there must be a cooling system installed in his sweater.'
Well, the weather had been unpredictable, so did the season. It could be summer today and winter the next day. Nothing new.
"Dad!" Finding her dad, Shan Liang immediately approached him. She immediately put the box on the floor near the sofa.
The girl's voice successfully made the middle-aged man turn his head around, showing his warm and gentle smile.
"Liang Liang." Uncle Shan smiled and stroked his daughter's head before he saw Lai Jiayi was standing not far from his place.
"Eh, Jia is here too?" Seeing the girl, he seldom saw for a while made his smile froze a little.
Lai Jiayi bowed politely and said, "Uncle, sorry for the sudden visit." The girl looked apologetic as she spoke.
Even though Uncle Shan was her father's best friend, she still felt bad for intruding his house so suddenly.
Lai Jiayi's back was stiff when she made the bow. She still couldn't ease herself around a man other than her father.
'Uncle Shan is so kind, yet I still feared him. Damn this phobia!'
"It's okay, but why are you here? Your father isn't at home?" Uncle Shan shook his head and immediately stood up, flashing a smile on his face as he spoke.
'Jia looks afraid of me...To think she can't let go of the past to this extent….what a pitiful kid.' The man looked at Lai Jiayi.
"T-that…" Lai Jiayi's face turned solemn.
She didn't know what to say, and Uncle Shan, along with Shan Liang, instantly realized something was wrong.
The two of them looked at each other before slowly urging Jiayi to tell them what happened.
The two families had been close for so long. They had to help if something happened with Lai Jiayi's father!
"So...it is like this…" After being urged, Lai Jiayi sat down on the sofa and began to tell the truth.
The girl didn't say anything about the surgery fee and only told them about her father's condition.
"What? Uncle Lai is...is.." After the girl finished listening to Lai Jiayi's story, Shan Liang was so shocked that she almost stumbled.
Uncle Shan also felt the same, and deep inside, he thought that Lai Jiayi still hid a few information from them but so be it.
He didn't want to force her. With a sigh, Uncle Shan said, "Is there anything we can help?"
He was sincere. He might not be rich, but he could still help Lai Jiayi's family, mostly because her father was his best friend.
Lai Jiayi shook her head politely while answering in a low tone of voice, "No, uncle, it's fine. Just please...lend me a place to stay for a while. Father is already in the process of recovering."
Lai Jiayi lied without batting an eyelid. She didn't want to drag others to her own matter, but she would accept help regarding her homeless state.
'Once I have a decent job enough to get me a rental house, I will move out…'
"You are also homeless?" Uncle Shan was speechless after hearing Lai Jiayi's request.
How could such a young girl get a super terrible fate? Her father was in a dire situation, and she had no place to stay!
"...yes.." Lai Jiayi nodded lightly, admitting that she was homeless now. That's why if she could…
Before Lai Jiayi could ask, Uncle Shan already beat her to it.
With a solemn face, the man said, "Don't worry. You can stay here for a long time, at least until your father is out of the hospital."
Uncle Shan looked determined not to let Lai Jiayi leave somewhere else until her father was healthy and could live with her again.
When the girl heard this, Lai Jiayi's heart felt warm. She still feared men in general, but Uncle Shan...might be an exception.
At least she could talk to him just fine. She didn't stutter talking to this kind uncle. She was always stuttering whenever she spoke to men, after all.
"Uncle, thank you. " Lai Jiayi sincerely smiled for the first time ever in front of a man aside from her father.
'Thank you, really. So there are still good people in this world.'
Now, she's not homeless anymore...at least for the time being.
'So what's left is the money problem!'
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